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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28454238">Night Envelops</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/the24thkey/pseuds/the24thkey%20writes'>the24thkey writes (the24thkey)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mamamoo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drinking, Friendship, Gen, Inspired by Art, Melancholy, Wind Flower music video</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:55:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,162</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28454238</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/the24thkey/pseuds/the24thkey%20writes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Yongsun, a night out with friends, and the city lights.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Voiceteam Mystery Box 2020, Voiceteam Mystery Box 2020: Team K-Pop</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Night Envelops</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic was written for the Voiceteam Mystery Box 2020 challenge Cover Art First. bluedreaming created a beautiful cover with the title 'night envelops' (taken from a poem called <a href="https://www.poetryinternational.org/pi/poem/2618/auto/0/0/Nikos-Karouzos/THE-NIGHT-IS-IN-MY-INTEREST">The Night Is In My Interest</a> by Nikos Karouzos) that inspired me to write this fic, which was in turn recorded by akikotree! The podfic and the cover are posted <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28498230">here</a>, so please make sure to check them out. &lt;3</p><p>Major inspiration was also drawn from the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8NCOA2bK6k">Wind Flower MV</a> - it's my favourite Mamamoo song, and I love the video a lot.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Night has already fallen by the time Yongsun steps out onto the street, but it doesn't get dark in this part of the city, not really. Harsh neon lights make her eyes hurt, and it's just one more thing to dampen her mood, to make her wish she'd said no when Hyejin texted them about going out tonight.</p><p>But Hyejin deserves to let loose and have some fun after being stuck at work all week, and none of them can deny her anything.</p><p>The taxi pulls up in front of her, and Yongsun adjusts the coat around her shoulders before she gets into the backseat. It's black like the flimsy dress she's wearing underneath, high boots and a big, gold choker around her neck making the outfit way too fancy for a night out with her friends, but she didn't have time to change her clothes yet again.</p><p>She lost herself in her own mirror image earlier, so out of it that she smudged her lipstick when she tried to apply it, drawing a stark red line across her cheek.</p><p>She wiped it all off, but her skin still feels strange now, and she touches it absent-mindedly while she stares out the window at the passing lights, colours blurring together in her eyes.</p><p>She blinks when the car slows and comes to a stop, turning her head to look at Byulyi when she opens the door and slides in next to Yongsun.</p><p>"Hey," Byulyi says, her voice quiet and subdued.</p><p>"Hi," Yongsun says, matching her volume.</p><p>Byulyi doesn't say anything else, busying herself with the seat belt as the driver pulls into traffic again. She looks off, somehow, her eyes distant, and Yongsun thinks that maybe she isn't the only one who didn't want to go out tonight.</p><p>"You okay?" she asks.</p><p>"Not really," Byulyi says, barely loud enough to be heard over the car's engine.</p><p>Yongsun hums. "Wanna talk about it?"</p><p>"Not really," Byulyi says again, and Yongsun accepts it as the 'I'll tell you later' that it is.</p><p>She shifts in her seat, resting her head on Byulyi's shoulder, and she feels the tension bleed out of her with every breath they take.</p><p>There's a song playing on the radio, quiet enough that she can't quite make it out. It ends just as Wheein joins them, squeezing in on Yongsun's other side with nothing but a distracted nod. She rolls the window down, sticking her head out and letting the wind ruffle her short hair.</p><p>Wheein gets like this sometimes, distant and oblivious to everyone and everything around her. Yongsun wonders if she was painting something tonight. She'll ask her later, maybe. She likes hearing Wheein talk about her art.</p><p>Hyejin meets them at the entrance to the bar, looking weary but determined. The light from the neon sign reflects strangely off her face and her hair, but she steps out of it to throw an arm around Wheein's shoulders and draw her in, gently bumping their heads together and making them both laugh.</p><p>"Come on," she says, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth as she raises her eyebrows at Byulyi and Yongsun, almost like it's a challenge. "Let's get drunk."</p><p>Byulyi laughs, still quiet but real enough, and she hooks one arm through Yongsun's own, pulling her along and up the stairs after Hyejin and Wheein.</p><p>Yongsun feels something shift inside her when they step through the door and into the bar - not all at once, but slowly, surely, the weight of the outside world slipping from her shoulders like the fabric of her coat.</p><p>This is their favourite place, a small but welcoming room where they've spent many hours together, just the four of them. The bartender is a friend of Byulyi's, and he rolls his eyes when he sees them come in, but he's smiling as he pulls out the first bottles of soju and waves them over to their usual table.</p><p>"Gopchang?" he asks.</p><p>"And kimchi jjigae," Byulyi says, taking the bottles from his hands before he can even make his way out from behind the bar.</p><p>"Make yourself at home," he sighs, and Yongsun giggles, grabbing some shot glasses for them as well.</p><p>Wheein looks more present now, her eyes bright as Hyejin tells them about her day, big, expansive gestures punctuating her words, long nails glittering in the dim light.</p><p>Byulyi pours them their first round, and they throw them back at the same time once she's made a toast, the taste of soju light and sweet on Yongsun's tongue.</p><p>She settles back in her chair as she listens to Hyejin's story, a warmth settling in her chest that has nothing to do with the alcohol or the food that gets brought to their table once it's ready.</p><p>Byulyi's arm rests comfortably on the back of Yongsun's chair, fingers brushing her hair every once in a while, and she doesn't look sad anymore, not like she did on their way here. It doesn't even take two bottles of soju before she's back to being her usual, ridiculous self, reveling in the way the rest of them shriek at her to stop being so greasy.</p><p>Yongsun can't even remember why she was so reluctant to come out at this point, and her bad mood just seems silly in hindsight. No one can make her relax and let go of her worries quite like her friends, no one can make her laugh and dance around the table and stop caring so goddamn much about how other people see her and what they want from her.</p><p>She can just let herself be, right here and right now.</p><p>The hours pass in a blur, closing time coming way too soon, and when Byulyi's friend tells them that they should head out now, good-natured but firm, Yongsun is surprised by how much she doesn't want this night to end.</p><p>They look at each other, the bar suddenly quiet around them, all other patrons long gone, and she sees her own desire mirrored on three familiar faces.</p><p>"McDonald's?" Wheein asks through her last bite of gopchang.</p><p>"McDonald's!" Hyejin crows, throwing her arms up and sloshing soju everywhere.</p><p>And just like that, they're in their own little bubble again, safe from the world and whatever morning will bring.</p><p>Byulyi laughs, loud and unrestrained, downing the last of her soju before she scrapes her chair back, pulling Yongsun up with her.</p><p>They leave the bar with loud goodbyes, drunk more on the energy buzzing between them than the alcohol, and stumble out into the streets.</p><p>Yongsun grabs onto Byulyi's hand, Wheein and Hyejin skipping ahead of them, singing a little made up song about wanting to eat ice cream.</p><p>It's late, and the night sky is dark above them, but Yongsun feels safe here, surrounded by the people she loves.</p><p>"Coming?" Byulyi asks, drawing her out of her thoughts, and Yongsun smiles and nods and follows.</p><p>"Yeah. Let's go."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Who knew all it took for me to finally write girl group fic was a podfic challenge.</p></blockquote><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28498230">[Podfic] Night Envelops</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/averytree/pseuds/averytree">averytree</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
</div></div></div>
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